Poor Unfortunate Souls
by TheAnalei
Summary: The city was ridden with orphans, all with a painful past. There's one orphanage that's just waiting to give them a place to call home. AU. Strawhat Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates.
1. Blue and Orange

**Warnings: Language, mentions of violence, imagery**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece but I own my plot and words!**

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**1: Blue and Orange**

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Bare feet pounded on the dirty ground as they ran through the dark streets of the city. The preteen wore ratty clothing that barely covered her scrawny form. Her orange hair was dirty and matted and her body was far too thin for it to be healthy. She was breathing heavily as she ran, weaving between drunkards and trying to escape from the loud yells behind her.

She smiled as she saw the alleyway she had grown so familiar with. Glancing all around her and seeing she had lost her pursuers, she grinned and ducked into the alleyway. There were several forks she came upon but she knew exactly which routes to take. She ignored the rats that scurried away in fear as she ran by and she didn't register (or rather she ignored) the awful stench or the disgusting trash as she sprinted.

When she finally reached the end of the maze, she was on the opposite side of the city, the slums. They wouldn't find her here.

She began to walk calmly down the streets. The people here knew her and just as she didn't rat them out for drug dealing or anything of the sort, they didn't rat out on her for stealing.

She hurriedly walked down the cracked sidewalk while hefting her bag higher up her shoulder, eyes trained on a run down apartment complex further down the street. She saw the light of one of the apartments on the second floor on and she smiled widely, walking faster in an attempt to get home quicker. Once she reached the run down building, she carefully walked up the steps, as though they would break underneath her feet.

Based on how the caretaker yelled at her to be careful, it was very likely that one day they would break.

She quickly ran down the long hall until she reached the last door and took out her key, unlocking the room with a worn out label that read "2F". The doorknob unlocked with a click and she shoved the heavy door open. Once in, she turned to quickly close it and lock it once more. Once she had done so, she grinned and turned around to run further into the apartment.

There was not much. It was a one-room apartment. There was a small kitchenette in the corner with one small counter next to a stove without a glass pane on its front, and an old refrigerator that looked like it was from the previous decade. The sink next to it was dirty and the right faucet was missing a knob. The small trashcan on the ground was practically empty since there was nothing to throw out.

There was no table in the room and the only other furniture was a large bed that could fit two small people. The floor was littered with books by all sorts of famous authors, whether the books were children's books or for adults. Not that there were adults in the house – that was why there were cobwebs on the ceiling and dirt littered the floor. Cleaning required chemicals, equipment – things they could not afford.

The bathroom door was only slightly open, but it seemed it was clean enough for use. However, it did not look like it was entirely sanitary to use.

The young 12-year-old girl ignored this as she ran up to the figure reading on the bed. "Nojiko!" The other, who seemed to be two years older, turned to the other with a grin.

"Nami, you're back," She smiled at the younger, closing the book in her hands and placing it on the bed. Nami crawled onto the bed, closer to the blue haired girl, and took her bag off of her shoulders. She opened it quickly and pulled out her earnings from todays stealing.

From some thugs who beat up a kid, she had stole one hundred dollars. She stole fifty three dollars from a cheap man who sold replicas to stupid tourists. She found at least thirty eight dollars on the ground – people were really getting careless nowadays – and a restaurant gave her some left over food after seeing her rummaging in the garbage to make her go away.

All in all, it was the best day in weeks, maybe even months.

"Wow, this is a lot Nami! You're getting better at this," Nojiko's smile slowly faded into a guilty frown. "I'm sorry you have to do this. I should be the one doing this…"

"It's not your fault!" Nami exclaimed, shouting and causing Nojiko to smile at her. "This is all Arlong's fault! And I'm not letting you do anything until you're better!"

With that said, Nami jumped off of the bed and quickly looked under it, pulling out a large amount of stolen medical products. Nojiko pulled the blanket off of her legs, followed by some bandages, as her sister handed her the box.

The state of her legs was awful. Third degree burns made angry marks on the bottom of her feet and the tops of her knees. Other burns, not quite as bad but still painful, travelled along her legs until they reached her mid thigh. The medicine they had seemed to help, along with the bandages they tried to put on, but it still wasn't enough.

They weren't doctors and they couldn't afford one.

Nami watched sadly as her sister reapplied the medicine and put on new bandages before motioning for her to get into the bed and to eat with her. The dinner was filled with pointless chatter about the day's events and the book Nojiko had read, and once done, leaving not a single scrap on the plate, Nami dumped the flimsy paper into the trash bin. She then turned the lights off and jumped onto the bed, not liking the dark. The dark reminded her of Arlong, and Arlong reminded her of-

Her thoughts were cut off as Nojiko held her in a hug. Nami's panic attack slowed and, while listening to her sister's heartbeat, she fell asleep. She didn't see the sorrowful look that her sister wore as she ran her hand through the orange hair.

"I'm sorry, Nami. As I am now, I'm just a burden to you. I promise, when I'm better, I'll make this up to you."

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**AN: Chapter one is up! I have to make this quick, but this story will be starting somewhat slow, and I don't have a plot yet, but I have quite a bit written down. New chapter will probably be up within two weeks to one month. **

**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! :D**


	2. Green

**Warnings: Child abuse/violence, language**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece, not me!**

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**2: Green**

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_"You stupid son!"_

_SMASH!_

_"Why can't you just pay attention in school for once? Why do you have to fight with every-" SLAP "-single-" PUNCH "-person-" SMACK "-you see?!"_

_He didn't say anything. It was pointless to correct the drunk man in front of him. He was just helping that kid out and besides, the one he beat up was being annoying and arrogant, two things he did not like._

_KICK!_

_"Are you even listening to me, you ungrateful little shit?!"_

_The green haired youth was roughly shoved to the ground and kicked in the face._

_"Why don't you just get lost somewhere and never come back?!"_

_The man who claimed to be his father – even though Zoro would never accept him – left the room. Zoro for once took his advice._

_He got lost and never returned._

Zoro slowly opened his eyes at the memory, waking from an unsatisfying sleep. The fourteen year old sighed and stood up, stretching as he took in his surroundings. No one had found him in the small alleyway he had shoved himself into to avoid the police. For some reason, _he_ decided to call the police on him.

Zoro refused to get caught and return to that hell.

Zoro opened the zipper of his jacket and looked at the inside pocket, checking its contents and sighing in relief that it was still there.

All one hundred dollars.

Maybe that was why _that man_ called the police. _He_ wanted his money back, even though a majority of it had been spent by now. He used to have one thousand dollars, but that was three months ago, January, right after he left.

Zoro grinned slightly at the thought of it – _that man_ storming around the house in rage, unable to find the money earned through drunken gambling. He probably didn't even realize Zoro was gone for a few days and only then would it click in the bastard's brainless head.

Zoro looked up as a drop of water landed on his head. The sky above was overcast and he could see the beginnings of an awful storm. Sighing, he huddled further into himself and sat back down in the doorway, putting the money back and holding three swords protectively to his chest.

One belonged to his best friend who died when they were young, struck by a drunk driver. They had both been kendo prodigies and were going to be the best of the best, but her death almost shattered that dream. He had been crushed, he had wanted to become the best with her. Only after her dad talked sense into him did he reaffirm his dream. Her father then gave him her sword, entrusting it to him.

But, soon after that, her dad moved away due to financial reasons, taking his dojo with him, leaving him with a father who slowly became alcoholic after the death of his mother by cancer. He had a picture of his dead friend, Kuina, and his mother in a separate pocket, and he swore that if he lost either, he would probably cry, and he _never_ cried.

That was just how much it meant to him though. Their encouragements from years ago still played in his head. Now, he just hoped they were there for his adventure into the unknown world.

No one who noticed the boy offered him any help as he became drenched in the rain, clutching his swords tighter, his mom and friend's words close to his heart.

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**AN: Yo! I know this is short, but the chapters for this story will all be relatively short.**

**The Voice of all Things: Thanks! I'm curious about it too :)**

**MegDBrew: I hope you liked it!**

**scatteredPhilosopher: Most of my stories end up dark. It's like I can't write anything NOT dark. This one will have dark undertones, that's for sure, that's only the beginning. Don't really know about what's next. I'm glad you liked it! :)**

**Trafalgar-Sev: Thanks! I always thought that they would be orphans, or similar harsh situations, in an AU that plays as close as possible to their OP situations. Ah, that makes me happy though. I'm concerned about writing those to too OoC, so I'm glad you thought they weren't. Yep, that's the plan! But each individual chapter will focus on a different character throughout. I'm so glad you liked it, I hope you like this chapter too :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, you guys! Thank you so much for reading as well! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review! :)**


	3. Shades of Blue

**Warnings: angst, language, mentions of violence**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece, but I own my words!**

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**3: Shades of Blue**

The younger clenched onto the older boy's hand as he watched the fire raging behind him with tears in his eyes. He tried to pull back, to run back and save them, but the elder wouldn't allow it. He grabbed the younger, tossed him onto his shoulder and bolted.

He ran for what felt like hours, trying to get away from the dangerous men and the awful aftermath of their destruction. The younger of the two had stopped struggling long ago but he could still feel him shaking slightly with sobs.

He himself had to bite his lip, grind his teeth and take deep breaths to calm himself down. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Not now. The other needed him.

They were in a park right now, in the pitch black of midnight. They were covered in soot, dirt, ash and the smell of smoke and gasoline. Parts of their clothes were singed and some of the tips of their hairs were burned. Both were exhausted and all they wanted to do was to sleep in their beds at home.

But that home was now gone, gone up into flames because their dad refused to make a dangerous weapon.

They would forever be proud of their adoptive father, even if this killed him.

The older put the younger down in front of a bench before sitting himself and pulling the younger up into a hug.

"Baka-burg…where's Tom-san? He…h-he's not really dead, is he?" The younger, with light blue hair, looked up at the elder, whose darker blue hair seemed black in the night. He could barely make out the frown the older made.

"It's just us now, Franky."

Franky clutched onto his shirt and sobbed again.

Both felt guilty about this. Especially Franky. He knew that jerk who just murdered his father was the father of a kid he never got along with in school. The two were constantly fighting because the other was so arrogant and stupid and couldn't live up to the words he said.

But he did live up to one thing, and it was the "I'll-tell-my-daddy" phrase.

Now look where it's gotten them.

Iceburg was quiet. He had already yelled at Franky earlier, right before the explosion happened. He didn't want to do it right now. He just felt…hollow. The man who had raised him for all of these years of his life was gone in the blink of an eye. He didn't know what to do now that the man he admired most in life was gone. Now it was just him and Franky, the young boy Tom had taken in a few years ago.

Iceburg had no idea how to take care of a ten year old kid; hell he was only sixteen and still considered a kid to the rest of the adult world. He never really paid attention to Franky and they mostly just bickered. Franky never came to him to ask for help – they both went to Tom-san. And now he was gone.

Iceburg's eyes hardened in determination. Yes, he held resentment for Franky for angering that boy's father – right now he really wished Franky had just never entered his life – but Tom took him in. He knows Tom won't do that with just anybody. He saw something in this Franky kid and even if he didn't like it, he would make sure this brat lived.

Tom-san wanted him to live, after all, and he didn't want to make those wishes end up fruitless.

"Wh'tre we g'nna do?" Franky mumbled tiredly, slumping against the larger body. Iceburg sighed and picked the smaller, exhausted child up, maneuvering him to his back, surveying his surroundings and looking for anything useful. He had some cash on him from earlier – Tom had shoved it into his hands. He wondered, absently, if Tom _knew_ this was going to happen.

Across the street from the park, he could see a flickering motel sign. It wasn't fancy and it wouldn't be the best, but it would have to do.

He never answered Franky's question and just walked to the motel to rent the room. The bored looking attendant just gave them a once over, not even bothering to ask their age and even offering them a few drinks. Iceburg refused. Once they were in the one-bed bedroom, because that was all he could afford, he placed the younger down. Franky curled up into the pillows on that side of the queen sized bed while Iceburg just sat down on the other side.

He took a deep, shuddering breath and placed his head in his hands, doing nothing to stop the tears. Now that the younger brat was asleep, he could cry.

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**AN: I'm so sorry that this is so late. I'm late on all of my updates right now. GAHHH I'm sorry :( . Even though this was short, I hope that you enjoyed it!**

**Rin101: I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**scatteredPhilosopher: It'll definitely come into play in the future, but like you said, since Zoro doesn't look to the past too much, it'll be short. Hopefully impactful (is that a word?), but short.**

**TrafalgarSev: I might do that, I haven't gotten that far yet. It's definitely a possibility though. But I need to get out of my writers block before I can even think of that :/ .**

**Nimphy-Ryuu-chan: It has an underlying plot kind of, but it's mostly just watching their different situations. And yes, they'll all meet someday :)**

**Rin101: Thank you :)**

**Once again, sorry for this extremely late update. I'm gonna keep trying to dig myself out of my hole of procrastination and lack of motivation and writers block. Ahhhh I'm sorry. BUT I hope that you all liked the chapter. Please leave a review to tell me what you think of it! :D**


	4. Blond

**Warnings: Angst, child abuse, starvation**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece. I own my ideas, plot, words, etc.**

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**4: Blond**

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The young, eleven year old boy darted across the street in the middle of the snow. It was all becoming slush now, mixing with the rain that had fallen only hours before. He wore a jacket, dark jeans and boots too big for his feet as he ran around in the cold.

He walked along the sidewalk of the street, gazing in at the stores and restaurants that were cramped together. Every time he passed a restaurant, he gazed in at it longingly. He had to ignore the growling of his stomach, even though it got harder with every step. He hadn't had a good meal in a long time and he hadn't eaten in a few days. He was surprised with himself that he could still move as much as he did.

He thought about the twenty dollars he had and wondered if it would be okay to buy something to eat now. He felt if he didn't eat, he might not make it. So, determined to find cheap food, he walked down the streets looking for any fast food restaurant. He may not like it, but food is food.

He came upon a McDonalds and, with shaking legs, walked into the store and up to the counter. He couldn't see the sign very well, everything was blurring together, so he just ordered a burger, fries and a small drink. The lady at the counter gave him a concerned look and turned around, checking to see if people were watching. She pulled her own money out of her pocket and pushed the money back to the young child, smiling at his look of awe. She patted him on the head and he gave her a huge smile before slowly making his way to a table to eat.

When he got to the table, what seemed like hours later, he shoved the food down his throat. It felt so good to be able to eat something, even if it was fast food. It was still food. And that kind lady paid for him too! This is why he likes women more than men. He hates men, and with good reason.

_The blond haired child glared up at three older men, seeming to be in their twenties. They all looked alike and one could easily tell they were siblings, but the youngest was their half sibling and over ten years younger, so they didn't care much for him._

_They ate their pizza while talking amongst themselves and drinking beer, cheering and jeering at the teams playing (American) football on the TV. The youngest child tried to grab a piece of pizza but his hand was smacked away by the elder boys every time._

_After a half hour of this, the youngest older brother snapped._

_"__Dammit, Sanji, just stop already! Go get something else to eat from the fridge, you fucking waste of space! We paid for this together, so we can eat it! Did you pay for it? No, so you can't have any!"_

_Sanji glared at his brother and stomped away to the fridge. He opened it, but all he was greeted with was beer, condiments, and food that was too high for him to reach or spoiled. When he checked the freezer side, the only thing he could reach was ice cream._

_Too hungry to care, the child grabbed the small container and a spoon and went to his room, trying not to make noise to anger his brothers._

_Once in his room, he opened the container and immediately frowned – there was maybe one spoonful in it. Sighing, he ate the small amount before throwing the container into the trashcan in his room. He turned around to look at his bed and snuck over, kneeling down and pulling a backpack out from underneath._

_Sanji opened the bag and looked at everything inside of it, checking for everything. He put in pants, shirts, underwear, socks, three hundred dollars from odd jobs he had done or stolen from his brothers wallets, some granola bars, three water bottles, and a flash light. _

_He had packed this bag a week ago, after getting beaten by one of his brothers. He couldn't take it anymore – he wanted out. He quickly shoved on boots too big for his feet and pulled on a jacket that was a little too snug around his form. He closed his bag and pulled it onto his shoulders and walked to his pillow, taking a bus ticket out from underneath it._

_Sanji walked into the hallway and, before he left, glanced into the kitchen. His older brothers were yelling loudly at the TV in their drunken state and none of them noticed him. He put his hand over what he thought was a bruised rib, opened the door, and walked out of the house._

Since then, it had been three weeks and three days. He knew that the police were looking for him and he just hoped they wouldn't catch him – he didn't want to get punished for doing something like this. His brothers could be cruel.

That was why he liked women better, like his mom. She was always kind to him and never hurt him and his brothers would act tame around him with her there.

But she was gone, somewhere his brothers wouldn't say, out of reach of her youngest, hurting child.

He finished his meal, gave the woman a smile and a wave, and then walked onto the street with more energy, heading towards the heart of the new city.

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**AN:…I'm back. I'm sorry for being gone for so long, some unexpected things happened. I'm replying to comments by PM for this chapter. **

**I'm gonna be giving little updates on story progress at **skrisas . tumblr . com **(remove the spaces). It's also more likely I'll reply to messages there. **

**Thank you very much for reading! :)**


	5. Brown Hues

**Warnings: angst**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece. I own all of my words and ideas. **

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**5: Brown Hues**

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A small terrier was barking excitedly up at its owner who gave him some jerky as he ate some himself. The boy had curly, dark brown hair covered by a bandana and a very long nose. They were standing in front of a tombstone in a graveyard and the boy was praying with a watery look in his eyes. His dog sat down next to him and stared at the grave with knowing, sad eyes.

This is where the boy's parents lay after that accident.

He sat in front of the grave and pulled a picture of his parents out of his pants pocket, smiling solemnly at it. His dog sniffed at his hand and licked him, as though to comfort him, and the child couldn't help but to laugh and pet the dog's head.

The boy wanted to know why this had to happen – why, of all things, their boat had to sink and why only he survived, wearing a lifejacket as the law told, while his parents died putting it on him. The dog next to him had suffered too, he knew, for when he found the dog it was howling besides a larger, gray dog that had been hit by a car.

"Yo mom, dad. How are you two?" The boy stared at the grave with a small smile as he spoke, relaxing slightly at the breeze that passed over him. "That's good. I'm doing okay too…I really miss you guys. It's so different without you two here, but I'm doing the best I can!" He gulped and kept trying to smile despite his want to cry. His dog licked his cheek and he smiled at him. "Thank you, Chopper. Neh, mom, dad, d'ya wanna hear a story? It's about the time I took down one thousand criminals with just a slingshot…"

The boy talked well into the night before he went and hid with other homeless men and women who surrounded old oil barrels and trash cans stoking fires.

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**A/N: I am a terrible person and I am so sorry. College has kicked my butt, but I am on vacation for six weeks and I plan to write during this time. I'm gonna go hide in a corner now though, so bye.**

**Thank you so much for reading! I really, really appreciate it! :)**


	6. Purple

**Warnings: violence, blood**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece. I own all of my own ideas.**

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**6: Purple**

The girl flipped through the notebooks and computer files as fast as she could, multitasking in a way many would find impossible. Her eyes flickered over the words, retaining everything with her photographic memory within seconds. She looked up at the computer and hacked into it, sending all of the files to another user. She ignored it completely when a man came crashing through the wall, landing at her feet in a bloody heap. She picked up all the important notes, the five flash drives and her own notes and placed it carefully into her bag. She titled her purple cowboy hat lower on her face, shadowing her eyes, and made sure her gloves were on tight before turning and walking out the doorway next to the hole in the wall.

She was greeted by several allies who were surrounded by bodies of enemies and they quickly escorted her out. She took her own gun out and shot at any straggling enemies as they made their way out of the building.

They separated into the darkness, all bolting off in different directions so as to throw off the enemy. The young teenager sprinted along the alleyways, eyes darting around as she did so, until she reached a main road. Once there, she slowed her breathing and slowly began to walk. She was not suspected by anyone.

She walked calmly along the street until she came upon a large, fancy hotel. She walked in, giving an innocent smile and wave to the woman at the reception desk, before getting into the only elevator that could go to the penthouse.

She slid her card in and the doors opened for her. Once in, she was brought up quickly and only allowed off once she had reached the penthouse. She saw the luxurious furniture of her employer and walked in a few steps before stopping and waiting for him to tell her to enter.

He did so not many minutes later and she walked further in until she came upon the hot tub. The man looked at her with an expectant look and she nodded, walking over to the computer desk nearby. She opened all of the files she sent, placed down the flash drives and the papers, and turned to the man. He chuckled and tossed her the money she had earned – five thousand dollars. The girl smiled mysteriously and walked out of the penthouse and the hotel until she was on the street again, money tucked away safely in her purse.

She hoped this would be a good amount of money for the month. Often, she had to spend most of the money on equipment or to hire men to help on the job. She slowly thought of her job as she walked down the street and wondered if it would ever end – she didn't want to do this. She just wanted to study the world, learn about what had really happened, but she wasn't allowed that.

She came to the outskirts of the city where there was an old, run down hotel. She had a permanent lodging there and she put the money she owed on the desk of the manager. The manager just waved her off as she walked further into the hotel that was more like a motel.

Her room was bare except for the basic furniture. Her clothes were all in a neat suitcase, she had several books laid out carefully next to it, and one book laid on her bed. Once she closed the door to her room, she took off her gloves and saw the blood on her hands. She sighed quietly.

She really hated work.

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**A/N: Robin appears! ^.^ **

**inulover305: Hi! They'll actually all be appearing within a few chapters, but they won't all be in the same chapter. **

**AaliyaIronHeart: Thank you! :) Starting in a few chapters, they'll slowly be brought together. **

**Thank you so much for reading/commenting/favoriting/following/etc! It makes me really happy! :)**


	7. Black Afro

**Warnings: implied poverty**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns anything related to One Piece. I own my words, thoughts, ideas, etc.**

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**7: Black Afro's**

A soft, melodious tune played through the almost empty subway. The people who listened to it all looked calm and searched for a source with their eyes, but could find none. Only one, a teenager who walked to find it, found the source. An old man with a large afro and a big black dog next to him was playing the violin. The man played with a passion the boy only ever saw in movies and it made him stare at awe, turning off his iPod to truly listen to the tune.

The old man's fingers moved with grace as he played the violin, as if it was natural to him. It may as well have been an extended arm with how talented the man was. The dog next to him seemed to be so calm too with the music and everyone in the station was becoming peaceful.

The teen looked for a violin case to put money in, but when he saw it, he saw it was behind the man, closed and locked. The boy stared up at the older man in confusion. The man obviously needed money – he seemed to be poor. He was skinny, his clothes were in tatters, and his skin was covered in dirt and grime. The only thing in good condition seemed to be the violin, and the dog seemed to be in better shape as well.

The boy didn't question the man, despite wanting to, and instead took a twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket. He placed it carefully next to the dog, mouthed a thank you that he was sure the old man saw, smiled and walked away to his train.

The man continued to play long after the train had passed. He stopped once he grew tired and kneeled next to his dog, looking at the twenty-dollar bill. He smiled and put it in his violin case, in a small compartment filled with money that kind-hearted souls had given to him. He didn't want their money, but to refuse kindness was something he would not do. Therefore he kept it all, unspent, for emergencies only.

He sat next to his dog and gave him some food that seemed to come from nowhere before taking out paper and a pen from a small bag next to him. The paper was filled with musical stanzas, and at the top there was an empty line for a title.

The man named it _The Boy Who Gives_, by Brook.

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**A/N: It feels good to be updating again! ^.^ I'll try to keep up a schedule for the next few weeks.**

**AaliyaIronHeart: Haha, I can't say anything because it'll be spoilers, but I hope you'll like it! Thank you! :)**

**Thank you so much for reading! I love you guys so much! :)**


	8. Black and Yellow, Black and-

**Warnings: violence, language, angst, blood**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece, I own all of my words/plot/ideas/ocs/etc...**

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**8: Black and Yellow, Black and –**

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A man received an uppercut to the jaw, causing him to stumble to the ground and hold his mouth while his tongue bled from being bitten.

Three kicks and a harsh punch were the reason the next man fell, holding his stomach as he tried not to throw up from how powerful the attack was.

Another man was kicked in the head and had a hard impact with the ground, everything blurry and ringing. He wondered how he was alive.

And around them were the injured bodies of their friends, and at the center of the mess stood a young teenager with a pack slung over his shoulder and a metal pipe in his hands.

The boy scoffed, turned on his heel and sprinted down the barely light alley. He weaved through the trashcans, boots making splashing sounds in the dirty water, which escaped from an uncovered sewer. He could hear the police sirens behind him and knew they had arrived to help the people he had beaten up.

They had it coming to them since they started the whole thing.

The boy ignored this as he ran through several alleyways of awful states until he had reached a river at the edge of the city. Further down there was a bridge and he grinned upon the sight of it. He sprinted in its direction and crossed it, not caring for the eerie darkness or lack of noise that would frighten most.

He just cared for what laid beyond that bridge, hidden deep in the forest.

He wove through the trees with a knowledge that came from years of being in one place for a long time. He knew exactly where to step cautiously and quietly, so as not to disturb the dangerous wildlife sleeping nearby. He was agile when he neared places hunters tended to be near, avoiding being seen, and carefully stepped through poison ivy – he did not know if he was allergic and he didn't want to find out.

Then he reached the biggest tree in the forest. He could recognize it, even in the dark of a night with a new moon. With practiced ease, he climbed the tree branches until he was in the thick, lush leaves overhead and in a place one could only see by actually climbing and venturing into the treetops.

He quietly stepped into the tree house and turned on a flashlight from his bag, turning it to the floor and waiting for the other to turn theirs on. Once it was, he grinned at seeing the familiar face. The other grinned at him from his position and held up part of the blanket on the floor so he could join. The one who entered moments before grinned and cautiously joined the other.

"How was it today, Ace? Any trouble on the road?" The other asked as he placed his flashlight into a placeholder, a jar, which allowed it to train its light on the ceiling. Ace did the same with his and both laid back in the bed once again.

"Had to beat up a few thugs on the way back, but nothing too strange. How was being stuck in here, Sabo?" Both were turned on their sides now, facing each other. Sabo could see Ace's face, and despite the joking tone, he could see the worried eyes trained on the third, unconscious figure between the two. Sabo smiled a sad smile and held the small figure close to his chest, running his fingers through the soft hair.

"It wasn't that bad…Luffy woke up today," Ace's attention was grabbed by those words, "and we talked a little. He was really confused'n all, wondering where you were too…he didn't say anything about his eyes."

Ace looked guilty and stared down at the small body between the two of them. Ace and Sabo were both fifteen. He looked up at the calendar in the corner; the month was May, and the fifth was circled and stared in every manner possible, with a sloppy ten written on it. It was only two days away.

The young boy snuggled into Sabo was not in good condition. He was malnourished from how hard it was to come by food they could eat, he was dirty (they all were), but worst of all, his eyes were covered in bandages.

The three of them were running from a group of thugs they had stolen from. Normally they would never take from such a big group, but they were desperate at the moment. They hadn't eaten in days and some people had also recently robbed their food supply – how they found it they did not know but the three boys were starving.

_"Get back here you brats!"_

_"Bastards!"_

_"Stop them!"_

_Men surrounded the boys in the front and they instantly went into battle mode. Ace took the front, Sabo took the back, and Luffy guarded their prize._

_Ace and Sabo fought off the men with brutal strength and trained skill. They used their pipes like swords and their fists could break bones._

_Sabo was almost done in the back. Everything was blurring together from hunger and he was running on pure instinct. All he knew was that he did have blood staining his hands and he needed to protect his brothers at any cost._

_He heard a yell behind him and turned to see Ace on the ground. He was obviously dazed for his head had hit solid concrete. He tried to move, but couldn't do much._

_And the man above him had a sword._

_"ACE!" Sabo screamed just as the man brought down the sword in an arc from the right to make a slashing motion for Ace's neck as Ace managed to turn onto his back, leaning on his elbows, unable to do anything to block the attack. _

_Blood spilled and a body fell._

_It wasn't Ace._

_Ace and Sabo watched in horror as the youngest of the trio jumped headfirst into the blow to protect Ace. He screamed in pain as the sword traveled across his eyes and the blood poured down his face. He fell to the ground with a thud, struggling to breathe and whimpering in pain._

_Ace and Sabo both snapped._

_Men fell faster than before, unable to run from the rage of the brothers. Blood was spilled, but neither brother cared, for their younger brother was injured because of them._

"It's not your fault Ace," Sabo said softly with conviction, staring straight into his brother's gray eyes. Ace looked down at Sabo's right arm, which lay over Luffy, and was reminded even more of his mistakes. Under the shirt he wore, Sabo's entire right side of his torso, his whole right arm and even parts of his leg were burned. "Ace," He looked up at the blond with guilty eyes. Sabo frowned at him and put his hand on Ace's head, pulling him closer until their foreheads knocked together. "None of this is your fault Ace. Because of you, we escaped that hellhole years ago and a few days ago, and because you didn't panic after either of those fights, I'm alive. Luffy's alive. We're all alive because of you Ace, don't you dare think that this is your fault, because it's not."

Ace's eyes widened, but he nodded with a soft smile gracing his face, making his freckles dance. Sabo smiled back at him, but both blinked when they heard mumbling. They both looked down and watched with wider smiles as Luffy buried his face into Sabo's chest, mumbling their names in his sleep. Ace reached up and clicked both buttons on the flashlights, turning them off, before pulling the sheets up to their chins. He stretched his left arm across the covers over Luffy and Sabo, just as Sabo spread his right arm over Luffy and Ace. They buried their faces in the pillows as they listened to the calming sounds of their home.

"Good night, Ace."

"Night, Sabo."

Within three minutes, all three boys were sound asleep.

* * *

**A/N: To clarify, Luffy's injuries will heal, but these boys have no means to proper medical care at the moment. His eyelids and the bridge of his nose is damaged, but he is not blind. **

**AaliyaIronHeart: I'm glad you liked it! And I'm trying to update most of my stories since I haven't done so in a while.**

**One: I hope you don't mind too much that these three share a chapter. But I like trying to put them all in their own chapter! It's fun! :)**

**Also, lame chapter title is lame, I couldn't think of anything :/**

**Thank you guys so much for reading! It makes me really, extremely happy! :)**


	9. White

**Warnings: none**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece. I own my ideas, plot, words, etc...**

* * *

**9: White**

* * *

A tall man, well into his years, sat down with a deep breath. It was late at night in the orphanage and he had just finished helping put the last of the stubborn children to sleep. His old dog trotted over to him and lay at his feet, falling asleep within seconds.

He took the paper off of the table and looked through it, sighing when he came upon small stories about run away children, robberies, gang fights and murders that he knew involved poor children who had to do so to live.

"Pops?" He looked up and smiled at one of his oldest sons, Marco. He was a handsome man with blue-green eyes like the sea and blond hair (even though the way he cut it made him look like a pineapple). "Is something wrong?"

The older man sighed and placed the paper on the coffee table before staring at the pictures on the walls of the room. He has taken a picture of every child that lived there. There were well over one hundred pictures. He started this orphanage when he was in his twenties. They were all his family, even to this day.

Most of them knew of his mafia ties and how he felt about children being involved in such happenstances.

"So many children have to fight so hard to survive in this day and age. To have to murder and steal for a living, I do not believe that they should have to do that."

Marco frowned, knowing exactly what he was talking about. He worked at the orphanage, surrounded by the children for years, but also worked in the mafia for his father. The mafia was slowly getting worse – more newbies entered the force every year and many were bloodthirsty. Drug dealing was becoming more common and weapons were becoming more advanced.

Anyone that could kill was used, even children, and many young ones ended up dead.

"It's hard to watch these innocent children have to suffer like this."

"Is there anything we can do?" Marco asked. Newgate was silent, thinking hard about something, before he looked his son in the eyes.

"If we don't do anything, their lives will be destroyed. We have room here. If we could just find some of these children, we could let them stay."

"How do we do that?"

Newgate threw his head back and laughed, long and loud. Marco just blinked in confusion, waiting for the older man to calm down. When he did, he looked at Marco with an amused grin.

"You've been with the mafia for how long and you forget you could look through files and tapes if you can get to them? You're a spy, Marco, it shouldn't be hard to find out who these kids are," Whitebeard told his son, who was flushed with embarrassment.

The door opened and a head popped through. Both men looked and saw a grinning face staring at the both of them.

"So, we gonna' drag the kids back here or something like that? I'm up for it."

* * *

**A/N: Some of you have been asking what's gonna happen and if Whitebeard's gonna show up. Here's some hints for the next few chapters!**

**natsuandlucy4ever: Thank you! :) I tried to make it as hmmm reasonable (that's not the right word but I can't think of the correct word right now). And Luffy will be heavily involved in everyone's lives, we just need all of them to meet first!**

**PsychoRien: Here ya go~**

**inulover305: Thanks! Luckily I have a lot of time today! :)**

**94Insane: Thank you so much! That means a lot! :)**

**Aqua468: I'm happy you think that! I love that chapter too.**

**LuciferRin72: I want to put them in, but if I did, it won't be for a very long time, I'd need to flesh out the Strawhats and Whitebeards first.**

**coolgamer: Thank you! I hope I manage to keep your interest!**

**Thank you for reading!You guys are like amazing, did you know that? I love you guys so much~ Words cannot describe it. Here, have a virtual hug from me *hug***


	10. Hunger Pains

**Warnings: starvation**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece, I own my thoughts/plot/words/etc...**

* * *

**10: Hunger Pains**

* * *

"Get out of here and stay out!"

Zoro was tossed out of the restaurant kitchen and landed on the dirty ground with a thud, the door slamming closed behind him seeming to mock him. Zoro was on his stomach, staring at the dirty puddles on the ground and wishing it was safe to drink. He fell asleep there from pure exhaustion.

He woke up hours later, still on the ground but now it was pouring. He blinked water out of his eyes and slowly got onto his hands and knees, taking in the change. It was night now. He could hear cooks shouting behind him in the restaurant, cars honking on the streets and the sound of hundreds of people walking. In the apartment next to him, he could hear a couple screaming at each other. He frowned, as it reminded him of his father.

Slowly, Zoro stood. He walked to the opposite wall and tore off a broken air vent, reached in and pulled out his three swords. He didn't bother to reattach the air vent. He was not in a good mood. He had no money and he was starving. He had money earlier, but then someone stole his jacket while he was asleep, using it as a blanket.

They dropped the pictures next to him in the mud, but took off with the rest. He was just happy he still had his swords and pictures, but he needed food.

He finally walked out of the backstreets, walking down the main street and getting several looks from the adults around. He was dirty and thin in a world full of rich people. Many of the adults gave him condescending looks. He didn't bother to glare at them, though – they weren't worth his time.

He walked and walked, being pelted by the rain. He walked in the opposite direction of everyone else, surrounded by their rich clothes and their umbrellas and their disgusted looks.

He really hated adults.

Zoro ignored them and, as usual, walked with no destination. Maybe he could find another restaurant, a kinder one that would feed a starving teen. But, then again, that had been the seventh restaurant in three days that kicked him out like that. He wasn't sure if he could go on like this much longer.

As the night wore on, the rain began to fall more than before. He didn't know where he was, all he knew was that he was on the outskirts of the city.

And something smelled delicious.

He took several steps, searching for the source, and stopped in front of a house to his right. Well, it wasn't really a house. It was pretty big, and he saw a sign nearby that said something about an orphanage.

He stared at the home, stomach growling angrily at the smell of the delicious food that wafted out of the open window. The house was brightly light and he could see children running around inside the windows before being told to sit in chairs by some adults. He saw them getting served what seemed to be a delicious meal and he had to force himself not to drool over how good it looked.

"Who are you?" He turned, slightly shocked at the fact someone stood behind him. He didn't even realize it. It was a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a green jacket, a white shirt underneath, plain blue jeans and white sneakers. She was the same height as him but seemed so much taller than Zoro at that moment.

The woman was staring at Zoro with concerned eyes, not that he could tell. She knew immediately that this boy had been on the streets. He was wearing a dirty, ripped white t-shirt and even dirtier green cargo pants with black boots that seemed absolutely soaked. He held three swords at his hip, which she found slightly strange, but was not as strange as his green hair, which was matted and sticking to his forehead.

But he was trembling. His skin was a pale color and he was taking deep breaths. His eyes looked weary and he had several cuts and bruises littering his body.

Her frown deepened, but Zoro thought it was out of anger for him being there.

"Sorry, I'll leave…now…" Zoro didn't even get two steps before his legs gave out under him. He heard the woman shout and felt arms grab him, but after that it was all a blur, then black.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been out, but when he woke up, he was staring at a ceiling and he was in a bed and –

He was inside.

He sat up quickly but immediately regretted it when his head spun. He heard someone shout something before someone was at his side, slowly lowering him back onto the bed. He opened his eyes and stared up at the person, a man, above him, who had just stuck a thermometer into his mouth. He waited until the beep and pulled it out, smiling to himself.

"Your fever is getting better, kid. My friend is going to bring some food down here in a few minutes, she just has to heat it up. My name is Thatch, by the way. Ya know, you gave us a right good scare there, boy. Passing out like that with a fever of 104 degrees, 's not healthy, ya know. But, what were you standing out there for anyway? Not many people manage to find there way over here since we're so far away from the city's mainstream, most people don't even know we exist-"

"Thatch, you're gonna make the poor kid want to hit his head on the wall. Stop talking and let 'im rest for a while."

"He's been resting for three days-"

The boy whose name they did not yet know shot up in bed again and stared at them in shock. "Three days?"

"Yeah, three days. Your fever was no joke, kid. Kept going up and down like a roller coaster – ow, Haruta, don't smack me!"

"Sorry for his running mouth. My name is Haruta, you saw me right before you passed out. Would you like some soup?"

He nodded his head in shock and carefully took the bowl. He took a small bite but once he had, he attacked the bowl with enthusiasm. It was as if he hadn't eaten for –

"When was the last time you ate?"

"A few days, probably," He answered while taking a breath, slowing down his eating pace. He immediately went back to eating while Haruta and Thatch looked at him in worry.

"What's your name?" The green haired boy looked at them once more, then back at the soup. He quickly finished the soup before answering them.

"Zoro. Roronoa Zoro."

"Well, Zoro, would you like to stay here for a few days?" Thatch asked Zoro, causing him to blink in confusion. "You're still in no condition to be walking around and you need to rest. What do you say?"

"…Sure."

* * *

**A/N: The wheels are a rollin'!**

**inulover305: Most characters will be following a path much like this!**

**LuciferRin: The supernovas aren't going to be here for a while. Luffy is 10, his brothers 15, the strawhats themselves (except for Robin [16], Brook [50s] and Chopper [6 month old puppy]) are nine. Zoro is 13 I believe.**

**AaliyaIronHeart: Thanks!**

**natsuandlucy4ever: Thanks! :) I can't say who it was at the end of that chapter.**

**Thank you guys so much for reading, I love you! 3**


	11. Flowers Can Grow in Trash Heaps

**Warnings: violence, weapons, injuries**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece, I own my ideas/plot/words/etc...**

* * *

**11\. Flowers Can Grow in Trash Heaps**

* * *

Usopp and Chopper were running as fast as they could through the junkyard. Usopp was absolutely terrified. He got caught stealing some tools that he thought he could use to help him in fights, and now he had five strong men chasing him.

But he was only twelve, and he wasn't that strong.

He was panicking inwardly, wishing his father was here to help him out, or that his mom was here to calm him down, but he knew they weren't.

He took a sharp turn and immediately regretted it, coming upon a dead end. But, he knew if he was caught here, it would end badly. Looking back, he saw them men running after him, yelling about the tools and gun he had stolen.

He hadn't meant to take the gun, he panicked when they saw him and he picked it up…

He wasn't good under pressure.

He turned away from them, put Chopper in his shirt and tucked it in so he wouldn't fall, and quickly began to climb up the hill of trash. His hands grabbed anything they could while his feet desperately searched for purchase on the unsteady mound. He climbed fast, grabbing onto corners of furniture, broken bikes and ropes, using anything and everything he could to climb. His hands bled and bruised from nails sticking out or sharp objects but he refused to cry out. He did let tears fall, but Chopper, his only friend, licked them away, and it only encouraged him to keep climbing.

When he reached the top, he looked back down and saw the men glaring up at him. He thought he had won until another appeared out of nowhere, aiming a gun up at him. His eyes widened in fear – he couldn't escape a gun. He covered Chopper and crouched down low, letting the tears fall now and waited for the gunshot.

He heard it.

He felt no pain.

He looked back down the garbage mound in confusion, staring at the sight below him. There were some men down there, fighting with the men who were just chasing him, and they were kicking ass. Usopp watched as the men fought, over what he didn't know, but he was happy he was safe for now. He looked around, but saw nowhere he could go. The only way down was the way he came up.

"Hey!" He looked down at the men who called him. It was one of the men who beat up his pursuers. "Are you alright?"

"I-I-I'm ok," He managed to get out through his tears as he stared down with fear. Even though they stopped his pursuers, it didn't mean they wouldn't hurt him.

"Do you need help getting down?"

"N-n-no, I-I can do i-it."

Usopp slowly began climbing down the mound, looking for foot holds once again. However, once he was halfway down, one of his footholds moved. His grip wasn't strong enough yet and so he fell. Chopper yelped and Usopp panicked, not knowing what would happen, when he was suddenly caught.

"You ok, kid?" Usopp looked up to see a…he wasn't sure if it was a man or woman, but he knew it was an adult. Confused and scared, he just nodded. The person shifted him to a different position and had him hold onto his/her neck as he/she climbed down the mound. When they reached the ground, he was put down. He quickly took Chopper out and held him close while he growled, staring up at the strangers. Aside from the man/woman who helped him, there were two very large men as well. One was wearing a top hat, had a mustache and smelled like roses while the other was slightly bigger, very buff and had diamond earrings and rings on. The one who saved him kneeled down to his level and began to talk to him.

"Why were they chasing you?"

"I…I stole some stuff, 'cause I-I needed some and I s-s-saw a gun and picked it up. They, they thought I was taking it, but I wasn't. It looked cool…" He quickly took his backpack off and gave it to the man/woman, who looked through it, confirming the gun story.

"Why were you stealing from them?"

"I don't have money and-and I can't fight off other people…"

"What about your parents?"

Usopp's eyes became watery but he wiped it away with his arm. "They're dead. It's just me 'n Chopper," The dog was glaring at the people, standing protectively in front of the boy, but he wasn't growling or nearly as hostile as he was before. The three adults looked between each other then back at the child before the man/woman spoke again.

"Your hands are injured, right?" Usopp looked down at his hands, which were covered in dirt, blood, cuts and bruises, much like the rest of his body. He had had his fair share of fights, and lost them all, this past week. "We can bandage them up for you. Do you want to come with us?"

Usopp was nervous. His parents had always told him to avoid strangers and not go with them, but he didn't have parents anymore. He had nowhere else to go. It was this or going back on the streets. So, he nodded hesitantly and took the hand offered to him, walking off to a place he hoped was warm and danger-free.

* * *

**A/N: I'd write more but I'm in a very uhhhh let's say nervous state of mind right now.**

**PsychoRien: It's gonna vary who finds the kids, and I can't say anything, don't wanna spoil anything.**

**inulover305: You'll see as time rolls on!**

**Keirra: Thank you so much! Your words mean a lot, like, you have no idea! :)**

**Xx-FirePhoenix-xX: Ah, 104 degrees Fahrenheit, sorry I should've clarified! That would be around 40 degrees Celsius.**

**youshouldn'tneedtoknow: I hope you'll continue to enjoy it! :)**

**natsuandlucy4ever: Hahaha, those two will have an interesting relationship**

**Sorry if my replies make no sense, as I said not the best state of mind right now. But still, thank you so extremely much for reading! It means a lot to me! I love you guys/gurls/whoever you are! :)**


	12. The Infirmary

**Warning: Awkward conversations, mentions of child abuse**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns everything related to _One Piece_. I own my words and plot.**

* * *

**12\. The Infirmary**

The two children known as Usopp and Zoro were a new addition to the orphanage. The fifteen much smaller children there were equally intrigued as they were scared by these people. There were no older children. All the adults were simply worried.

Chopper, Usopp's dog, was allowed to stay after a bath and a vet check-up, but he was nowhere near as bad as the two boys. Usopp had cuts and bruises all over his body, but the worst were on his hands and feet. His hands were even slightly burned from trying to make a fire to keep warm at night. All of his fingers were wrapped in bandages with aloe and ointments on them. He didn't like it much, but he had no choice.

Zoro had recently got over his fever, but they learned that the main reason for his trembling that night was due to a badly infected cut on his torso. He had apparently gotten into a bad fight and had no means to medical help. Thus, the young teen was bedridden, much to his dismay. They always had someone watching them to make sure neither of them would run away.

Currently, Thatch was watching them. He was in the office right next to the room with the beds with a window to watch in. He was doing paper work, well, he appeared to be. He was really spying on the two boys and wondering what they would do. They needed to figure out what had happened to the two.

Chopper was on a little mat between the two beds and both boys were talking quietly, sleeping soundly to Thatch's relief. The dog had been a ball of high strung nerves earlier. With Chopper quiet, Thatch could better hear what the boys talked about. Thatch couldn't hear them well, but it seemed as though they were getting along.

Inside the room, they were kind of getting along…

Not really.

Usopp was terrified of the older boy and Zoro was just overall annoyed with the situation and kept snapping at Usopp.

"So…how long have you been here, Zoro?"

"A week."

"…Do you like it here?"

"No."

Usopp blinked. He rather liked it here, with the food and the nice people, so he wondered why Zoro didn't like it.

"…Why not?"

"I can't stay here."

"Why?"

"Why do you have to know?"

"I…I'm trying to make…conversation…"

Zoro sighed and put his hands on his face. He felt slightly bad for snapping, but he was panicking. The police were practically on his tail last time he saw them and he didn't want anything to happen to the people here.

"I'm being chased, alright."

Usopp looked at the other, slightly shocked, and listened curiously while he continued.

"I ran away…the police are after me. I don't want to go back and if they would just let me leave…"

"…I'm sure they would help you," Usopp said quietly, timidly. Zoro turned to him with a wondering expression. "I mean…they don't want kids to be in pain, right? I bet…I bet they would listen to you…help you…" The younger looked at his dog, sleeping between the two, and Zoro just stared at him for a few moments.

"…We'll see."

* * *

Apparently, he would be forced to talk. Zoro was in the office with Thatch, who overheard the end of that conversation, while Usopp was sleeping in the other room. Thatch was giving him a concerned look and Zoro hated it. He hated feeling pity. It was his decision, he doesn't want anyone to pity him for what happened after.

"Why did you have to run away?"

Zoro leaned back in his chair, arms crossed stubbornly.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"We can't stop the police if you don't say anything."

Zoro looked up in confusion.

"Stop…the police…"

Thatch smiled at him. "Yes, stop them."

"…Why…why would you do something like that? You don't even know me." Zoro clenched his fists, looking Thatch right in the eye. The man just smiled back at him again.

"You're a strong kid. Someone like you doesn't run away. So, tell me, what really happened?"

Zoro's eyes were wide. He gulped before he began talking.

"I…my mom died a few years ago…and since then…my…_father_ beat me. It got worse as the years went on…the last time he did, he told me to get lost and never return, so I did…and I took one thousand dollars. I'm pretty sure that's why the police are after me, but if they catch me and make me go back…" Zoro was looking down by the end, trembling slightly for he had never told anyone about this. He was slightly scared, but then there was a comforting hand on the top of his head. He looked up at Thatch, who gave him a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, you won't have to go back there. We'll make sure of it."

Zoro felt, for the first time in a long time, that he was safe.

* * *

**A/N:** After forever, hello again. I apologize for not uploading a new chapter in forever but I had some problems I had to deal with and writing was nearly impossible.

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! :) 3 I love you guys!


	13. Found

**Warnings: Violence, language**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns everything related to _One Piece_. I own my words and plot.**

* * *

**13\. Found**

* * *

Iceburg handed Franky the ice cream cone he had just bought while he ate his own, grabbing the child's hand as they walked down the street. It had been a little over two weeks since Tom's death. They had been wandering the city, doing odd jobs and helping with repairs when they could to make money. It was difficult, but there was nothing else they could do.

Especially with that murderer still chasing them.

Iceburg looked around the street, pulling Franky closer when he saw a man in a suit watching them from a café. Eyes narrowing, he pulled Franky along faster. Franky didn't question it, looking around for the source of concern, but finding none, he just trusted Iceburg.

"Baka-burg, where're we gonna go?"

"Don't know, just away from here."

Once they were on another street, Iceburg told Franky to get on his back. Iceburg dropped his ice cream cone into a trash can. Franky did the same, no matter how much it upset him to throw out his half finished ice cream.

Iceburg saw an alley nearby and quickly but calmly walked to it. Once he was well into the alley and they couldn't see the street, he burst into a sprint, blindly navigating through the maze.

Both of them could hear footsteps behind them. Franky looked behind them with a glare, thinking of how to slow their pursuers. But when Iceburg stopped in the face of more men, Franky cut off his thoughts. He jumped down and grabbed a pipe nearby while Iceburg brought his fists up.

"Get them."

Iceburg brought his fist right into an attackers nose before turning and kicking another in the stomach, knocking him over. He dodged a leg from the right before turning and punching that person as well. Caught off guard by a man in front of him, he didn't realize there was a man behind him until he felt something sharp jabbing into his back.

Franky saw what happened to Iceburg and a horrified expression came over his face. He turned back to his pursuers, smacking them on the heads with the metal, before turning to the ones behind him with a scream.

Iceburg could only watch as he couldn't move – he was smacked over the head with a pipe and someone was sitting on him. Franky was coming for him and he saw the child get kicked in the face before getting a pipe in the stomach. The boy was thrown against a metal wall before his face was kicked again.

Anger boiled in Iceburg's gut but he was currently and unfortunately helpless. He saw one of the men raise a gun and aim it at Franky and he yelled to stop, fearing he would lose the boy who he had grown closer to since Tom's death.

The man with the gun fell after a gunshot. Iceburg could only stare in awe as he saw a man with a gun at the end of the alley.

Their attackers ran at the man who slipped his gun back into its holster. He brought his fists up and punched at all the men, smacking them in the face. Several fell to the ground with a thud and a crack each time while others screamed and went back to attacking. The man brought his leg up and kicked one in the gut, smirking in satisfaction when he fell back into another person and both fell to the ground. He ducked as a leg came up from behind and put all his weight onto his hands. From there, he spun like a windmill and caught many men in the gut, knocking them to their feet.

He quickly flipped onto his feet again before grabbing a man who ran at him by his arm and throwing him over his shoulder. From the crouched position, he turned and punched someone in the jaw. He fell to the ground unconscious, much as everyone else had.

The man turned back to Iceburg and Franky, saying something neither could hear from the ringing in their ears.

Iceburg passed out and Franky was left with the man. He kneeled down and carefully lifted the boy into his arms.

"You alright, kiddo?" He asked calmly, looking him over for his injuries. He groaned in response, staring at Iceburg with concern. The man, who he realized had blond hair, smiled comfortingly at the child.

"Don't worry, my friend will be here in a second to – Izo, over here!" Franky watched the other…man?...run over and take him from the blonds arms while the blond went to pick up his brother. Deeming these people their allies, Franky allowed the black to consume him.

* * *

A/N: Franky and Bakaburg's turn to be saved :)

Guest: Thank you :) There are going to be other crews appearing, but it will be a while from now. As for pairings, I'm going to say probably not? I haven't thought that far ahead yet :o

xx-AnimeGirlz-xx: Thank you, I'm glad you like it :)

Thank you everyone for reading this chapter :) I love you all! 3


	14. The Father

**Warnings: Language, child abuse**

**Disclaimers: Eiichiro Oda owns all content related to One Piece. I own my plot and words.**

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**14: The Father**

Zoro glared at the man in front of him, shifting a little closer to Thatch. It had been a week since he told Thatch and now the orphanage was trying to help him. The police had found him and now, his father was here, in the orphanage. Zoro hoped this would go smoothly.

They were in an office of sorts, furnished with an old fashioned mahogany desk, towering bookshelves of old, but not dusty books, and dim lighting provided by the several lamps. Thatch and Zoro sat on a couch across from his father and a police officer named Smoker. Between the two pairs was a coffee table with a wooden frame and a glass surface. Upon the table was a small stack of books, three mugs of coffee, and a cup of orange juice.

"I want my money back."

Zoro's eye twitched and he felt Thatch tense beside him. Thatch could only wonder why some parents were more caught up in money than the safety and well-being of their children. It reminded him of his uncle who raised him, the cursed bastard infatuated with the green wads of cash trapped between sticky paper. The officer's eyes narrowed. His father just glared at Zoro, his cold brown eyes boring into his soul with intimidation.

"…I don't have it."

"What do you mean you don't have it?" Zoro almost flinched at the tone in his voice, but managed to stay still. He didn't move his green eyes, just like his mother's eyes, away from his father's eyes. "You spent all one thousand dollars?"

"It got stolen."

"You fucking idiot!"

Before Thatch or Smoker could do anything, he lunged over the table, picked Zoro up by his collar and punched him hard, sending the boy to the floor with a painful thud. He continued to yell profanities and insults at the boy even as Smoker pinned him to a wall, putting handcuffs on his wrists and telling him to shut up as he tried to give him the Miranda Rights.

Thatch meanwhile helped Zoro up. His nose was bleeding and the skin around his eye was already red. It would no doubt bruise. He glared up at his father, no, the man, as Smoker ordered some other officers who had rushed in upon hearing the commotion to take him to the car. He turned back to Zoro and walked over, kneeling to be at eye level with the green eyed teen.

"There will likely be an investigation for this, as a warning. I suggest you think of some stuff ahead of time if you want to get rid of him. I believe you're a good kid."

With that, Smoker left the dumbfounded Zoro and grinning Thatch in the office. Thatch lifted the teen to his feet, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Let's go get some ice, Zoro."

Zoro followed somewhat dazed in his stupor, wondering if things would turn out ok.

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A/N: Zoro's problems are for the most part resolved! :D Thank you very much for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! :)


	15. A Birthday

**No warnings. **

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece. I own my characters, plot, words, and ideas. **

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**15: A Birthday**

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"Happy birthday Luffy!" Luffy grinned at his brothers, or where he assumed they were. He felt a hand on his head and he didn't know whose it was, but it made him happy.

"Thank you!" He hugged whichever brother had the hand on his head. They had gone out last night and hadn't returned until…whatever time it was that day.

Ace and Sabo both knew it was noon. Sabo smiled as his little brother hugged him and Ace pulled out the box of stolen Oreo cookies from his watermelon sack.

"Luffy, we brought food," Ace said with a teasing voice. Luffy immediately looked in his direction and trotted up until he stood in front of him. He had a serious look on his face.

"Is it meat?"

Both older brothers laughed. "No, it's Oreo's."

Luffy cheered loudly and hugged Ace as well. Ace handed Sabo the package so he could open it while Ace brought Luffy, who was clinging to him, to sit by the window. Sabo walked over and sat on the other side of Luffy, handing both him and Ace a cookie before taking one and setting the package on the ground in front of them.

"How's it feel to be ten, Lu?" Ace asked after finishing his first, reaching for a second.

"Is it supposed to feel different? 'Cause if it is, I don't feel different," Luffy exclaimed, already on his third cookie. Sabo laughed and Ace grinned at him. "I'm happy!" Luffy smiled at them both and both smiled back, albeit slightly guilty, both looking at the bandages over his eyes.

"Na, Sabo, Ace, when my eyes are better, can we go to the fair?" Both brothers were slightly startled, not by the question, but because Luffy brought up his eyes. Ace recovered first and answered him.

"Sure, Lu." Luffy cheered again while eating yet another cookie. Ace and Sabo had stopped eating and were staring at the ground with guilt. Luffy noticed the lack of noise and took both of their hands, startling them both. He had noticed his brothers acting strangely lately – they didn't hit him as much and they were much kinder to him as well, not that they weren't before. It was just strange to him and he wanted to make them feel better.

"Ace, Sabo, what's wrong?" Luffy was pouting in worry and it caused them both to smile. Ace pulled the boy into his side, getting a startled shout from him. Sabo moved closer to lean on Ace's shoulder, still holding onto Luffy's hand.

"Just thinking, Lu," Ace's head rested against Sabo and they both stared at the younger. He didn't look fully convinced, but after a second, he grinned widely and snuggled into Ace's chest. Neither older brother knew, but he hadn't slept since they left the night before and it was already the next day. Luffy had done this whenever they left out of worry over something, but he didn't know or tell his brothers. He believed they were strong, but he wasn't, so sometimes when his mind wandered from anxiety he got to thinking maybe...maybe they wouldn't return.

Regardless, within minutes, he was snoring softly against his brother's chest. Ace ran his hand through Luffy's hair, pushing the straw hat onto his back, and sighed.

"What're we gonna do, Sabo?" Sabo glanced up at Ace who was biting his lip. "What if his eyes don't get better?" His voice shook nervously and Sabo frowned, sitting up and putting his arm around Ace's shoulder, letting Ace lean on him. He didn't say anything about Ace's tremors or the water on his shirt. He ran his hand through Ace's hair, trying his best to calm his brother as he stared at the youngest.

"We'll figure something out, Ace."

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A/N: Hiya! A somewhat fluffy, somewhat angsty scene for ASL. I hope you all enjoyed it! :) Thank you for reading, love you guys! 3 :D


	16. Light in the Darkness

**Warnings: Language, violence, murder, child abuse**

**Disclaimer: Eiichiro Oda owns anything that can be connected to One Piece. I own my words, plot, ideas, etc.**

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**16:** **Light in the Darkness**

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Nami was running on instinct, sheer fear clouding her mind and judgment. He was behind her, the man from that day, the reason she and Nojiko were alone. She held back tears as she sprinted down the large hill she was on, trying not to trip on any cracks in the sidewalk or remember any bad memories.

"_MAMA!" Nami screamed while holding Nojiko close. That man was above her mama, a gun in hands, and everything was burning, hot, it hurt. Why was this happening? Why to them? What was going to –_

Nami yelped as she tripped, her sandal falling off as she fell down the steep, cement sidewalk. Pedestrians gasped and screamed as she fell the majority of the way down the hill, her momentum from running propelling her forward. When she stopped, she struggled to get up. Her ribs had never hurt so much before. She wheezed in pain and curled in on herself. She knew that she had several broken bones now. She was covered in blood and bruises and she could feel blood in her mouth from smacking her face on the ground.

But that didn't concern her.

She heard a gunshot and then people were running away, shrieking and yelling in terror. She looked behind her, up the hill, eyes squinting in the broad daylight, before they widened and tears fell. He was right there.

She grabbed the cracks in the cement with her finger tips and pulled herself forward, gasping at the strain and strength and pain that came with it. She pushed with her feet as best as she could, shoving herself forward. But then there was a foot on her head and she couldn't move. She stared up in fear.

_\- happen? "MAMA!" Bellemere looked at her daughter with a smile, tears in her eyes._

"_You must live, Nami, Nojiko! I love you!" Tears fell from Bellemere's eyes as the gun shot ripped through her heart. She released her last breath and fell limp. Nami and Nojiko both screamed, unable to believe what just happened. He had killed mama, and he was going to-_

kill her. He was going to kill her. She wailed from fear. The man smirked at her, his pupils dilating. He cocked his gun and she resigned herself to her fate –

He was knocked backwards by a fist, the bullet lodging itself in the ground right next to her. A man with glasses and a watermelon-like hat stood above her. He looked down at her before going after the killer. She trembled in fear, even more so when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She relaxed some when the man gave her a soft smile, gently picking her up. She saw the car nearby and panicked – Nojiko. She wouldn't leave without her.

"Wait," Nami grabbed the man's purple shirt, pulling on it and making him look down at her. "My sister. I can't," She was cut off by her coughs and the man rubbed her back to help them slow and ease.

"It's alright, one of our friends is going to get her right now."

Nami didn't trust them. She tried her best to stay awake, but the darkness was too tempting. She quickly passed out in the strangers' arms, worried and pained.

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A/N: Back again! Short, but I think I'm getting a feel for how the entire story will go. Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it :)

Mysterious user: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the update! :)


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